their call c. and the King heard thereof he was wroth and sent forth his Armies and destroyed those Murtherers and burnt up their City It is strange to see with what a scornful state the proud ambitious Usurper of the Chair of Peter would trample upon the Necks of all his Brethren and how he looks from aloft upon the honest Protestants reproving him he looks upon them far below him and with supercilious looks despiseth them for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Thus he and all his Train of the Scarlet Conclave the Cardinals with the sly Jesuite thinking themselves righteous despising others as the Spirit of God rebuketh them Luc. 18. 9. do aggravate their former Revolt and Apostacy this thousand years standing and call all to remembrance that at last they shall through the fire of Gods wrath hereby incens'd be taken with the hand as the Text speaks But as for the meekness and humility of the Church of England and our readiness to condescend and submit to the Truth let the World be our Witness as learned Bishop Jewel declares it If any learned man of our Adversaries or of all the learned that be alive be able to bring any one sufficient Sentence or Testimony out of any old Doctor or Father or out of any old General Council or out of the holy Scriptures of God or any one Example of the Primitive Church whereby it may be clearly and plainly proved that there was any private Mass or that the Bishop of Rome was delegated for Universal and Supreme Head of the Catholick Church with Invocation upon Saints worshipping of Images and buying of Indulgences and Pardons or that the Roman Church was accounted and call'd the Universal and Catholick Church or any thing own'd as Transubstantiation at that time for the space of six hundred years after Christ we are content to yield and to subscribe otherwise we hold our selves strictly obliged to retain the Religion and Faith of Christ which we do now profess and as it is now by our Laws established Inference the third from God provoked Ye shall be taken with the hand Idolatry Bloodshed Oppression Prophaneness and Blasphemy are the crying sins that provoke God safest and hasten his unavoidable Judgments soonest In Ezek. 22. 3. The City maketh Idols against her self to defile her self Idolatry is an open defiance to the Deity therefore abhorr'd of God above other sins and call'd by Gods Spirit the Abomination and therefore it is said in the Text v. 24. Because you have made your iniquity to be remembred this was so odious that it was the cause that made other sins to be remembred and for Bloodshed and Idolatry being put together it is expresly declar'd by the Prophet Chap. 22. 4. that they have hasten'd their destruction And thou hast become saith he guilty in thy blood which thou hast shed and hast defiled thy self with thine Idols which thou hast made and thou hast caused thy days to draw near And as to their oppression prophaneness and blasphemy it is declared in Ezek. 22. to be so notorious and palpable that God blew the fire of his wrath to consume them Their sins did testifie against them the way of peace they knew not truth was fallen in their streets and equity could not enter and Esay crys out that he wondred there was no Intercessor Es 59. 16. Esay Jeremy and Ezekiel spend their breath and their books in declaring the falling away of these people from God and his worship insomuch that at last you see the fierce anger wrath and indignation of God fell upon them in this King Zedekiah's time 4. Inference from the Charge Thou wicked and prophane Prince is this It is such as revolt from the Faith despising holy things and fall to the practises of the Heathen World that the Scriptures call wicked and prophane and never charge any so that keep the true Faith and Worship of God These people were justly charged and their Prince also as wicked and prophane and that for these Reasons 1. They had forsaken the Lord and his Law which is declar'd by good King Josiah in 2 King 22. 13. Our Fathers hearken'd not unto the words of this Book meaning the Book of the Law found by Hilkiah in the House of the Lord to do according to all that is written concerning us And this falling away from Gods Law the Scripture calls Fornication comparing these people of Israel to sordid men Ezek. 16. 15. Thou playedst the Harlot and pourest out thy fornications on every one that passed by 2. They despis'd the holy things of the Lord Manasseh built Altars for Baal in the House of the Lord and set a graven Image of the Grove which he had made in the House of which the Lord had said In this House will I put my Name for ever Therefore doth Ezek. Chap. 22. 8. cry out against them Thou hast despised my holy things and hast prophaned my Sabbaths And ver 26. Her Priests have violated my Law and prophaned my holy things I am prophaned among them 3. These people were justly called wicked and prophane for they follow'd the Idolatrous practises of the Heathen World Zedekiah did as Jehoiakin had done and Jehoiakin as Jehoiakin his Predecessor and he did as Jehoahaz and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that his Fathers Manasseh and Ahab had done Now Manasseh built up the High-places rear'd up Altars for Baal made a Grove and worshipped the Sun and the Moon and the Planets and all the Host of Heaven 4. They delivered their Children to pass through the fire to Moloch at Topheth and shed Innocent blood And behold saith the Prophet the Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their power to shed innocent blood like ravening Wolves to destroy Souls for dishonest gain Ezek. 22. 27. These Abominations were grounds enough to charge them as the Prophet doth here Thou wicked and prophane And besides all these there did Oppression and Usury Lewdness and Uncleanness reign in the highest degree amongst them Now having seen who the Scriptures call wicked c. in the Old Testament it lies upon us to know who are so charged also in the New Testament and for what and that appears plainly 2 Thes 2. 7 8 10. S. Paul tells you He who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way and then shall that wicked be revealed i. e. He that letteth and opposeth Christs Doctrine and Kingdom is that wicked one which in his appointed time shall be reveal'd and in the 10th verse he gives the reason why he calls him wicked Because they received not the love of the Truth This is much like that of Queen Esther spoken concerning Haman who had conspir'd to destroy all the Inheritance of God the Generation of the Jews This Adversary and Enemy is that wicked Haman So in Eph. 6. 12. we find that the Church of Christ
A VINDICATION OF THE True Christian RELIGION In Opposition to the Abominations of POPERY IN A SERMON Upon Ezek. 21. 24 25 26 27. Being the Text appointed by the Pope for Master Whitebread one of the Popish Conspirators to preach upon the accomplishing of their Wicked Design for taking away the Life of his Most Sacred Majesty Wherein the King the Church together with his Majesties Laws Constitutions and true Protestant Subjects of England are clearly Justified and the Pope the Church and Popish Faction of Rome are justly charged to be guilty of the like Dreadful Curse in the New as hath been denounc'd against Revolted Israel in the Old Testament By J. Thomas Rect. of S. Nicholas Preached at Cardiffe Before the Bayliffs and Aldermen there Feb. 2. 1678 9. London Printed for Isaac Cleave at the Star next to Serjeants-Inn in Chancery-Lane 1679. Imprimatur W. JANE EZEK XXI 24 25 26 27. 24. Therefore thus saith the Lord because you have made your iniquity to be remembred in that your transgressions be discovered so that in all your doings your sins do appear because I say that ye are come to remembrance ye shall be taken with the hand 25. And thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end 26. Thus saith the Lord God remove the Diadem and take away the Crown this shall not be the same exalt him that is low and abase him that is high 27. I will overturn overturn overturn it and it shall be no more until he comes whose right it is and I will give it him I Thought it not unseasonable being desir'd to explain this Text which as it is credibly reported was intended by the Popish Faction to Consummate and Cloak the horrible malice of their Bloody Conspiracy against the Life of his most Sacred Majesty but conceiv'd it useful and necessary to apply it to whom most properly it appertains as well for the justifying of his Royal Person and Satisfaction of all honest Protestants as also for the Reproof and Conviction of our Adversaries I shall proceed to handle this Text with all humility of mind faithful love to Truth and due regard to the Testimonies of the Holy Scriptures with the sense of the first General Councils and the Doctrine of the Fathers in the first five or six hundred years after Christ whereby you may evidently perceive and be fully satisfied that the King and Church of England who hold the true Apostolick Faith and bind themselves by Mutual Oaths to uphold and maintain the same are not sentenced with the dreadful Curse of God as was denounced against Judah and Jerusalem but that the Antichristian Pope of Rome that Man of Sin now of a long time reveal'd with all his bloody and Idolatrous Train the Ignatian Tribe have their Judgment denounc'd in the New Testament which lingreth not and their Damnation slumbereth not I observe with S. Augustine not the Monk that all Holy Writ is so tempered by the Holy Ghost that quod alibi obscurius alibi clarius explicitur one portion of Scripture explains another and that is acknowledged by all the Orthodox to be the most certain and undoubted Exposition Wherefore that this Text may be rightly understood the Matter therein contained must for it requires it be consulted of in our Bibles in the following particulars I. The Time when this Prophecy was declar'd II. The Causes wherefore this Prophecy was declar'd III. The Event being a dreadful Curse denounced Wherein observe 1. The Authority Thus saith the Lord. 2. The Charge Thou wicked and prophane 3. The Parties Prince and People 4. The Confusion I 'll overturn c. 5. The Duration Until he comes IV. The Promise annex'd Wherein observe 1. The Kingdom of Christ promised He comes 2. His Claim Whose right it is 3. Divine Institution I will give it him Of all these in order by Gods assistance with Inferences from and Application to the whole matter I shall conclude with the uses proper for our selves to make of it And first of the Time when 1. The Time when this Prophecy was made is easily known when we look upon Ezek. 1. 1 2 3. where the Prophet gives the World to understand expresly the Year the Month and the Day the Word of the Lord came unto him Now saith he it came to pass c. in the fourth month in the fifth day of the month which was the fifth year of King Jehoiakin's Captivity the Word of the Lord came unto Ezekiel the Priest in the Land of the Caldeans c. Compare this with 2 Kin. 24. 15 16 17. verses and there you shall find that this King Jehoiakin the King of Judah was carried away to Babylon in the eighth year of his Reign and the King of Babylon made Mattaniah his Fathers Brother King in his stead and changed his name to Zedekiah insomuch that by these places of Scripture it evidently appears that Ezekiel began to prophecy much upon the midst of King Zedekiah's Reign for he reigned eleven years For by that you see that the fifth of Jehoiakin's Captivity must be the fifth of Zedekiah's Reign The Text calls this time Iniquitas Termini by an Enallage for Terminus Iniquitatis when Iniquity shall have an end that is now is the time come that all the revolt and back-slidings of Judah and Jerusalem by Idolatry Blood-shed and Prophaneness is come to remembrance and it shall now end in Zedekiah's days who shall with the people be carried Captive unto Babylon 2. The Causes wherefore this Sentence was denounc'd are twofold the first is the provocations of the people moving and incensing Gods wrath against them and to this relates the first verse of the Text which saith you have made your iniquity to be remembred and in the 23. verse next before the Text it is said But he will call to remembrance the iniquity which according to the Original may be well translated Hereby you call to remembrance that is by this contempt and disdain which you cast upon my Word in the mouth of my Prophet which seemeth to you as a false divination ver 23. you do provoke me to call to remembrance all your wickedness and the iniquity of your forefathers for this obduration of heart against my Messenger and breach of Allegiance to the King of Babylon shews what you are ver 24. So that in all your doings your sins do appear because I say that you are come to remembrance that is by this your hardness of heart and contempt of the Prophets Doctrine you force me saith the Lord to remember your Idolatry Bloodshed Prophaneness and Apostasies in all kinds all which the Prophet sets down in the next Chapter Ezek. 22. 2. The second Cause here mentioned is God provoked and expressed in these words Ye shall be taken with the hand which seems as if it were the Instrumental Cause but indeed the King of Babylon was the Instrumental Cause of their Captivity to
whose hands God delivered them up In the 23. ver it is Ye shall be taken with the hand and in the 11th ver before the Text it is call'd The Hand of the Slayer and in the 9th and 10th verses it is set forth with much fierceness A Sword a Sword is sharpned and also furbished it is furbished to make a sore slaughter by this Sword sharpned and furbished being an evident sign of Gods Wrath is signified that he was incens'd to a very great height of fierceness against them and that appears by the effects and influence it had upon them in the 7th ver Every heart shall melt and all hands shall be feeble and every spirit shall be faint and all knees shall be weak as water Alas alas when the point of Gods Sword is set against the Gates what hearts can endure or hands be strong to deal with it or in any way be able to resist it Thus we see what 's the sad and dreadful cause of mens Confusions even Gods severe anger so highly provok'd with repeated contempts and hardness of heart against his Messengers and Messages sent so sedulously to instruct them and by the Instrumental Cause of this peoples calamity the King of Babylon we also see that it often comes to pass through the anger of the Lord against his own chosen people he maketh use of and stirreth up against them the hands and hearts of Heathen and prophane people 3. The third thing to be considered in the Text is the Event i. e. the Sentence of Destruction denounced wherein we must observe these particulars 1. The Authority of it in ver 20. Thus saith the Lord. What I say and denounce against this Prince I have Gods Warrant for it saith the Prophet and that 's the reason why he omits all terms of honour to this Prince and I think he might have inlarg'd thus and say I know the Commandment of God in the Law concerning Princes Ex. 22. 8. Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Rulers of thy people for by God Kings do reign and Princes do decree Justice And that Solomon had taught saying Curse not the King no not in thy thought for his unsearchable heart is in the hand of the Lord. And Kings are the Lords Anointed ordain'd for our Nursing Fathers and therefore not to be touch'd with any violence But I am commanded by the Hand of God upon me and the Inspiration of his Spirit within me Thus saith the Lord as Saul told Samuel and Elijah told Ahab before this time Kings of Israel so I by the Word of the Lord or the Lord by me and my mouth prophesieth and saith thus against this Prince and People 2. The Charge in this Sentence is observable Thou prophane wicked You shall see these words explain'd in Jer. 52. 1 2 3. where Zedekiah is said to do that which was evil in the sight of the Lord according to all that Jehoiakin had done and Jehoiakin's Charge you will find in Jer. 22. 17. he was tax'd for Idolatry and shedding of Innocent blood by offering up Children unto Moloch for oppression and violence covetousness and prophaning holy things And this was not spoken of him alone but of all the people and of the former Ages since the revolt of Rehoboam and Jeroboam who made Israel to sin in the 4th Chap. of Ezek. 4 5. ver the Prophet was to bear the iniquity of the people for 390 days representing all the years a day for a year down from Jeroboam which time is computed by the Learned to be 390 years to the Captivity under Zedekiah 3. The Parties charged Prince and People the Prince was Zedekiah whose name had been Mattaniah as is shew'd before who now rebels against the King of Babylon that had shew'd kindness and made him King instead of Jehoiakin the People are also concern'd here for when it is said Remove the Diadem and take away the Crown by the Diadem and Crown is meant the Government and Kingdom the whole Nation the Cidarin and Corona are Royal Ornaments and by the signs Synechdochically is meant the things signified amove tolle i. e. Prophecy that the King and People shall be removed and carried captive into Babylon Haec non haec this shall not be the same i. e. this shall remain no more such a glorious Nation 4. The Confusion or Destruction denounced is to be considered which is set forth in several expressions in the Text as first Exalt him that is low that is Jehoiakin who is now low in Captivity at Babylon he shall be exalted which came to pass in the 37th year of his Captivity 2 King 25. 27 28. c. you may read how Evilmerodach King of Babylon lifted up his head and spake kindly unto him and gave him an allowance a daily rate for every day all the days of his life Abase him that is high that is Zedekiah that is high-minded and through the pride of his heart and Gods anger rebelleth against the King of Babylon shall be abased this ungrateful undutiful and disloyal Prince requites the kindness favours and great honours conferr'd upon him by the King of Babylon with Conspiracies Plots and Rebellion 2 Kin. 24. ult therefore abase him cast him off I have rejected him saith the Lord which came to pass you see in 2 Kin. 25. The City was besieged to the eleventh year of King Zedekiah and the City was broken up and all the Men of War fled by night c. and Zedekiah was taken and brought to the King of Babylon to Riblah and he gave Judgment upon him and bound him in Fetters of Brass and slew his Sons before his eyes and put out his own eyes and brought him to Babylon The next words declaring this great Confusion are I will overturn overturn it and it shall be no more that is with repeated Calamities and Judgments will I destroy it with Sword Famine and Pestilence my accustomed and usually sent Judgments I will bring it once twice and the third time to make a full end of it and it shall be no more that is not such a great terrible and glorious people any more This was fulfilled you shall see that Nebuzaradan Captain of the Guard a Servant of the King of Babylon came to Jerusalem and burnt the House of the Lord and the House of the King and all the Houses of Jerusalem and every Great Mans House burnt he with fire and broke the Walls of Jerusalem round about and carried the rest of the people away And although by the Edict of Cyrus they had Laws after the City and the Temple was rebuilt yet all was but slender and unstable as by the History of Nehemiah and Esrah doth appear and since Christ came whom they crucified at Jerusalem by the just Judgment of God upon them they were utterly abolished by Titus Vespasianus and now are become the most distressed and despicable people and Nation in the World 5. The Duration
of this Judgment and Confusion until he comes Here is a comfort promis'd them by the coming of Christ which although that blindness as S. Paul calls it hath happen'd unto them for a time that they could not receive the Messiah when he came yet there 's a time and a promise for their Restoration upon this Promise and other-like Prophecies of Scripture do they to this day depend and look for the coming of the Messiah to deliver them and herein they are more happy than Antichrist under the Gospel for there 's not one syllable of promise made for his restoring to the Truth which he hath forsaken but he is to be consum'd for ever by the Spirit of Gods Mouth and utterly destroy'd by the brightness of his coming 4. The fourth particular observable in the Text is the promise of Christs coming He comes whose right it is and I will give it him Here 's meant no Temporal Prince but the coming of the same that was a long time before spoken of by the Kingly Prophet Thou hast made him little lower than the Angels and hast crowned him with Glory and Honour thou hast made him have Dominion over the works of thy hands thou hast put all things under his feet and to the same Prince and persons coming doth Malachy speak He cometh suddenly to his Temple Behold he shall come saith the Lord and who may abide his coming therefore it is said by S. Paul he was appointed Heir of all things He comes saith the Text whose right it is Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews This right of Ruling and Power the Lord Jesus saith of himself in Mat. 28. 18. All power is given me of my Father in Heaven and in Earth therefore it is said in the Text I will give it him The whole Text thus open'd and the circumstances thereof considered there do arise these several Inferences The first Inference is from the Time c. When the Wicked plot against the Just and combine in rebellious Conspiracies then doth approach the appointed ruine of the Plotters This Sin of Witchcraft carries men blind-folded to destruction and that is the reason I think why it is so called men are bewitch'd to lay Snares that their own feet may be taken Non est Lex aequior ulla quam necit artifices arte perire suae A juster Law can no man make nor wish Than Plotters of Death should for Plotting perish Therefore did the Psalmist sing The Heathen are sunk in the Pit that they have made in the Net which they have hid are their own feet taken And from this time of Zedekiah's Rebellion when he conspired against the King of Babylon and brought upon himself by his Plotting a total Ruine we may very well observe that Conspiring and Plotting Times are but the Fore-noons to the Evenings of executing Rebels I have a very sure word of testimony for it Psal 37. 12 13. The wicked plotteth against the just and gnasheth against him with his teeth but the Lord laugheth at him to scorn for he knoweth that his day is coming The Lord laugheth to scorn at the wicked Plots and Conspiracies of bewitch'd minds and though men do not perceive their approaching Ruine God knoweth that his day is coming In the Net which every bloody Traytor hath made may his own foot be first taken And do not we now see whose days are come and whose iniquity will have an end is it not the days of such as devise Rebellion and who hath not a full sense of these unquiet and restless Spirits who never cease to plot against the just yea a most just tender and gracious Soveraign and who are those and how many of all hands do we daily see that gnash their teeth against him and against his Protestant Church and Kingdom of England The Ignatian Tribe the Brood of lame Loyolah falsly call'd Jesuits for indeed they are aes avitae saith one spend all their time and wits to bring the Kings of the Earth to the Battel of the great day of the Lord that is to sow Sedition and Rebellion in the whole World witness their late Dismal Plot of Gun-powder and this now discover'd of no less danger as 't is credibly reported Dr. Hall in his Epistle to the Bishop of Bath and Wells observes the time of this plotting Confederacy with their ador'd Idol the Pope to be approaching saying All the World knows how that pretended Chair of Peter tottered and crack'd threatens a speedy ruine to her Usurper how is it that it still stands This rebellious Zedekiah Jer. 52. 1 2 3. and 2 King 24. 18 19 20. which two places of Scripture are the same word by word felt the revengeful stroke of Gods hand of Justice in a short time after his ungrateful and undutiful opposing of the King of Babylon And the Holy Ghost speaking of Antichrist who indeed is a Rebel against Christ professing the name of a Christian but opposing him in Doctrine and Practice tells us his destruction is swift and his judgment lingereth not And to conclude this point see how free from this witchcraft of Rebellion all the true Sons of the Church of England Princes and People are and ever have been accounted insomuch that their perfect Loyalty and true observance of their Kings is born as a mark in their Forehead and is become a Proverb No Bishop no King no King no Bishop 2. Inference from the Provocation When obdurate hearts contemn the words of God admonishing and threatning by his Messengers they aggravate their former sins and exasperate Divine Indignation against them In the verse before the Text Hoc revocatis i. e. hereby ye call to remembrance that is by disdaining my Prophets and Prophecies which in your sight is as a false Divination through the hardness of your hearts against me saith the Lord you provoke me to call to mind the wickedness prophaneness idolatries bloodshed oppression and blasphemies that is amongst you and all the Apostacy of your Forefathers this 380 years and upwards You have transgressed very much 2 Chron. 36. 14 15. after all the abomination of the Heathen and polluted the House of the Lord and I sent unto you my Messengers rising up betimes and sending because I had compassion on you saith the Lord. But this is it that imbittered me against you more than any thing you have mocked my Messengers and despised my words till my wruth rose against you till there was no remedy Pro. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall be suddenly destroyed and that without remedy This was the case of Ely's Children who disdaining the voice of their Father persisted in their pollutions till God in his wrath slew them This hardning of the heart is nothing else but the contempt of Gods Word and the contempt of Gods Word is the provoking of God to his face When the people invited to the Wedding in the Parable of the Marriage-Supper made light of